Battery terminal



May 20 1924.

w. F. CROUCH BATTERY TERMINAL Filed Jan. 12; 1921 I INVENTOR 5021510222]? C ouch Patented May 20, 1924.

I UNITED s'rztffts PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. caoucn, or sauna, wasnme'ron. BATTERY 'rnnnman Application filed January 12, 19.21. Serial No. 436,718.

To all whom it may conce'm Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. Caoucn, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica,

and resident of the city of Seattle, in the terminals.

Oneobject of my inventionis to .provide a connector for such use which will form perfect contact between the two elements of the connector and which will maintain this contact under all working condi-" tions.

Another object ofmy invention isto rovide means whereby the two members w ich are in electrical contact may be sealed to prevent corrosion by the introduction of gases or of acids.

My invention comprises those novel arts agid combinations thereof which are s own i the accompanying drawings, described 'in the specification, and particularly defined by the claimsterminating the same. a

In the accompanying drawingsI hav shown my invention inthe form which-is I now preferred by me.

Figure 1' is an elevation of my connector, a portion being shown in section and dis connected.

like must be practically perfect to insuregood or even workable results. In such connectors the common practice is to employ a member formed of an alloy composed principally of lead, and the terminal member of a harder material such as b coated in some instances with a film of lead, which fits within a socket of thefirst memher tomake contact between the two. The brass used in these members corrodes when exposed to the air, to the acids contained tapered socket 11. Means are provid in the batte or if exposed to salt water as when u for marine work. Corrosion of the surface of the brass memberbreaks contact between it and the lead member and renders the battery useless until the corroded surface is cleansed. With the usual type of connectors the two contacting members cannot ordinarily be forced tightly .enough into engagement to prevent the introduction of air film or of acids or, when they are occasionally closely united, they" are liable to become disunited by reason of the slight rotational movements caused by jarrin under working conditions. Moreover, t e brass member is not, in such connectors, securely sealed against COITOSIOII. It is the ellmlllatlOILOf the possibilities .of

corrosion to which my invention is directed.

Themember 1 which forms a part of my connector, may be formed of the lead a1 oy or of other suitable material. It is provided with a socket 10 which is ada ted to fit upon a terminal post of a storage attery and to be lead-burned thereon as is the usual practice; The member 1 has, also a socket 11 which is tapered to receive a tapered terminal member 2, this being the brass member of the connector, or its equivalent. A lead .wire 3 is secured to the terminal member 2 insome suitable manner, as

by securing it within a socket 20 therein.

The member 2 may have at its smaller end T a threaded recess 21, this being adapted for engagement by a bolt, which is not shown in the present drawings but which is used in connection with other types of socketed members to draw the tapered terminal 2 into place. It may be seen that my tapered terminal 2 is capable of use with all of the commonly 'used tapered. socket terminal connectors. e

The members 1 and 2 are rovided with interengaging means .when t e terminal 2 is seated within the 'socketjll which cooperate torevent relative rotational move ment thereietween. The means which I have shown and which I now prefer consist .of a head 22 forming a part of the terminal 2 and of polygonal shape, which is ada ted to fit within a recess 12 in the end 0 the member 1 and surroundin the sist of the cap 4 threaded at 41 upon the for member 1. The cap 4 surrounds the lead wire 3 and is provided with means for engaging the head of the terminal 2 to force it inward. It is apparent that other means for ,forcing the terminal 2 into itssocket may be employed, such means being common in the art. With; the polygonal head- 22 of the terminal fitted in the recess 12, relative rotational movement between the member '2 and the socketed member 1 is prevented and thus the breaking of contact between the two members caused by such relative .movement "is revented.

- As a seal to prevent furtherthseintroduc tion of corrosive substances between the members 1 and 2, I provide a washer 5 of malleable and non-corrosive material, such as purelead, which surrounds the lead wire 3 and which is adaptedto fit upon or to cover the outer end of the terminal 2. Means are provided for forcing this washer 5 down upon the member 2 and into close association with the lead wire 3. To this end I form the washer 5 with a tapered surface and extend the cap 4 outward to form a boss 40 having a tapered inner surface adapted to engage thetapered surface of the washer 5. As the cap is screwed into place the tapered boss 40 presses the washer 5 downward'upon the head of the terminal 2 and forces it closely about the lead wire, thus completing the sealing of the terminal 2. I I

It is desirable to hold the washer 5 against turning while it is being forced or clamped in place. I have shown a head 23 of polygonal shape, shown herein as square and upstanding from the head 22" of the terminal 2. The washer o is provided with a complemental recess which fits over the head 23, the washer and head 23 being thus interengaged to prevent relative rotation therebetween. The terminal head being held against rotation in its socket by the means above described, the washer 5 is also held against rotation and the action' of the cap 4 in turning serves only to press it and to crimp it in place aboutthe lead wire and upon the head ofthe terminal 2.-

Vhen thus crimped'in place it is practically impossible for corrosive substances to reach the contact surface between the terminal 2 and its socket 11.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A battery connector comprising a member having a taperedsocket, and having a non-circular recess about the rim of said socket at its large end, a flexible conductor,

a plug secured upon the end of said flexible,

conductor a-nd ta ered tofit snugly within said socket, a ra ial flange about the large end of said plug, said flange being noncircular in shape and adapted to fit within said non-circular recess, when the plug is having means interengageable to prevent their relative rotation, and a cap surrounding said flexibleconductor and threading upon said socketed member, and bearing upon said washer to force the washer into contact both with the flexible conductor and with the plug, and to force the plug into I its socket;

3. A storage battery connector comprising a member having a tapered socket, a flexible conductor, 'a plu secured upon the end of said flexible con uctor and tapered to fit snugly within said socket, a washer of plastic non-corrosive metal surrounding said flexible conductor, a non-c1rcular-boss upon the large end of said plug,.a corresponding non-circular recess in the adjacent end of the washer engageable with said boss to revent relative rotation of the washer and plug, and means for forcing said washer about said flexible conductor and against said plug, and said plug into its soc et.

4. A storage battery connector comprising a member having a tapered socket, a flexible conductor, a plug secured upon the end of said flexible conductor and fitting within said socket, means interengageable between said socketed member and plug, when the latter is seated within the socket,

for preventing their relative rotation,

a caprsurrounding said flexible conductor and securable upon said socketed member to seat the. plug within its socket, an internally coned extension upon said cap extending away from the plug and spaced from the flexible conductor, and a plastic metal washer interposed between'the head of said plug, the ca and the flexible conductor, and'engagea le by said coned extension to be forced into close association with both the plug and flexible conductor. I

5. A storage battery terminal as in claim .4, the plug and washer having means interengageable when forced together to prevent their relative rotation.

Signed at Seattle, King County, \V'ashington this 7th day of January 1921.

WILLIAM F. CRQUCH. 

